BK Top 5: The best things to do tonight, from MTA sign language to storefront stories

Learn everything about what went into that very specific lettering tonight. via Flickr user Laser Burners

Here we go, Wednesday, here we go! Don’t forget to run out into the world chanting the traditional Wednesday chant we all know and love, because we’re that much closer to the weekend. Also don’t forget though, that the Brokelyn Events Calendar has some great stuff for you to do tonight, especially these five nights out.

SECRET SCIENCE CLUB PRESENTS BIOLOGIST AND ANIMAL BEHAVIOR SPECIALIST SIMON GARNIER
Want to spend some time thinking of bugs and animals that aren’t necessarily New York City pests? In that case, check out biologist Simon Garnier’s chat about the ways that hive animals like army ants and slime mold work together with almost psychically-linked efficiency. Oh yeah, that’s much less terrifying than just your average roach or rat, swarms of army ants working together in some far off jungle that you find yourself stranded in and completely alone.8pm, The Bell House, 149 7th Street, Gowanus, FREE

OBSCURA TALK NY; BROOKLYN SPACES
As you may know, our own brilliant events editor Oriana Leckert wrote an entire book about all the cool weird places that have to be seen in Brooklyn. Tonight, she’ll not only be talking about some of those cool places, like Pioneer Works, the Batcave and Rubulad, but she’ll go over the history of the venue holding tonight’s talk, Unnameable Books. It’s great, it’s like a tour where you don’t have to walk at all!8pm, Unnameable Books, 600 Vanderbilt Avenue, Prospect Heights, $10

DESIGN CODIFIED: THE GRAPHIC STANDARDS MANUAL
The signage on the New York City subway system is instantly recognizable and iconic. Some of you out there might have even missed a stop or two in the early days of your subway riding career while you lost yourself in taking all the graphics in. If that describes you, or something close to you, tonight’s evening at the Transit Museum celebrating the re-release of the NYCTA Graphic Standards Manual that laid out exactly what kind of lettering would be used on the subway system in 1970 all the way through to today. Even better, you can get a look at all the crazy subway signage it replaced, by getting a tour of the Transit Museum’s collection of old wayfaring signs.6:30pm, New York Transit Museum, corner of Boerum Pl and Schermerhorn Street, Downtown, $10

STORE FRONT II BOOK LAUNCHNew York institutions like bodegas and diners are under the threat of extinction, but those are just some of the small businesses that we’re seeing less of in the changing New York City landscape. Good thing then that someone came out with a book of photography of their favorite storefronts around the city. More specifically, two someones, James T. and Karla L. Murray, wrote the book and they’ll be showing a slideshow of some of their favorite city storefronts and taking your questions about them tonight.7pm, powerHouse Arena, 37 Main Street, DUMBO, FREE

THE LIT/COMEDY ROUNDTABLE: BROOKLYN EDITION
Who’s more miserable, comedy writers or novelists? Oh wait, sorry, that’s not exactly what tonight’s event is about. It’s actually drawing bright lights of comedy and literature, including Saturday Night Live‘s Katie Rich, Variety Fair‘s Mike Sacks and BuzzFeed’s Sam Weiner to talk about where comedy and literary writing intersect. Which to be fair to my theory, could include a little bit on the shared misery of both professions.7pm, WORD, 126 Franklin Street, Greenpoint, FREE

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